Transformers Origins: Orion, Dion, and Ratchet
by fantasyaddict101
Summary: aka: Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and Ratchet. An epic tale of how the three most famous transformers met their true loves and found their places in Cybertronian history... plus Megatron. Takes place on Cybertron's version of "high school."
1. New Bots

**The following story's language has been translated from Cybertronian to English, courtesy of fantasyaddict101.**

**The story takes place many millenia ago when most of the more ancient Cybertronians were still young.**

**Orion Pax= Optimus Prime**

**Dion=Ironhide**

**Ariel = Elita 1**

**Tron= Megatron**

* * *

"Orion, get your aft over here!" Ironhide called. He and Ratchet sat a couple hundred meters in front of their Cybertronian school where many other students sat while they waited for the beginning of the first class.

"What's new?" Orion Pax asked, his dark silver form sitting down next to the bulky Ironhide and the light green Ratchet; the latter robot intently reading a bulletin. His brightly colored digit left indents on the datapad.

"Nothing much," Hide responded, flexing his arms, as a cluster of femmes walked by.

Orion chuckled lightly at the femme's bashful reactions. "How much are you lifting now? You're looking bigger than usual lately."

"Ah, you know...somewhere between 800 thousand and 9."

"Dion, you're crazy."

Ironhide playfully hit Orion on the shoulder. "Orion, I told you, I changed my name for my final frame. Now it's Ironhide, no more of that Dion slag that my sire dubbed me."

Orion, venting, remembered the afthole Dion's/ Ironhide's sire was until he finally offlined in an old war. Dion was in his final frame, and now mature enough to understand the unkind mech he was.

Changing the subject, Ironhide commented, "I heard that two new students are joining today...supposedly femmes."

Orion rolled his light blue optics, "Hear that Ratch?"

"Hm? What?"

"Ratchet, what are you reading so intently?"

Ratchet looked up a bit from the article, "Says here that there's talk of a war starting soon."

"There's always a war," Hide reasoned, "Betcha it'll be over before I can join the army."

"Wait, join the army?" Orion questioned.

"Yep, soon as I get through this school. I'm gonna get myself drafted." Dion explained, "I just like the weapons," he chuckled. Orion stared at the mech, hoping that that was a joke.

Ratchet barely seemed to hear them.

"Hide, I don't think this may be such a little war as the others have lately-"

"Okay, who is it written by?"

"Um...Prowl."

"Prowl? The freshman! He's got a logic glitch and you expect his articles to be accurate?" Hide snatched the datapad and threw it into a waste receptacle. "So what are your future plans, Ratch? Besides getting drunk off of high grade from late-night-early-morning parties? We've only got a little bit of our senior term left after all."

"Not sure yet. I've been learning more about the medical field lately, but a community officer position has been attracting me lately also. I'm aiming for something to help bots."

"Really Ratchet?" Orion laughed, "You're too nice and _fun_ to be an officer. If you wanna be in the medical field, you have to have a bit of a back cord or restrain!"

"What about you Pax? Are you still into repair?"

"Yeah, welder. I don't think I'm cut out to be in the army, and I don't believe I'd be strong enough to be a type of officer or anything."

The dreaded bell rang.

"Frag," Ironhide stated, picking himself up. As the trio approached the door, a tiny figure pushed through them, "'Scuse me! I'm so sorry, oh frag," she apologized. "Um, can you please tell me where hall 23 is?" the fembot asked Ratchet. "I'm new here," she blinked waiting for his response. He was frozen, unmoving, his optics fixated on her. "H-hall 23?" she waited a few more seconds while Ratchet stared.

Putting on a smile which had drawn a handful of femmes to his berth, Ironhide stepped in front of his friend and replied to the girl, "Just go down the hall and take a left."

"Thanks," she said, breathless. Beginning to sprint away, she remembered to turn and call back, "Oh, I'm Moonracer!"

"Ironhide, Ratchet," Ironhide replied pointing to his still friend also.

As soon as she turned the corner, Ratchet suddenly jolted back to life. "Whoa! You see her? What a femme! That amazing smile, the dainty yet taunting figure, her perfect body-"

"Her nice aft as it ran away from frozen-mech. What happened to you?" Dion asked.

"I think...I fell in love," Ratchet replied.

As Orion let out a long whistle, while Dion smacked the back of Ratchet's helm.

* * *

Ironhide ran to his first class, Self Defense. The title was deceiving though; everyone in his class was planning on enrolling in the army soon after graduating so their teacher, Kup, turned his head the other way and let them engage in death combats or would let them try out the weapons most classes. Most classes ended with at least one student missing some extremity armor.

"I'd like to introduce everyone to our new student, Chromia," Kup stated as a 'top-heavy-hour-glass' shaped femme came out from behind him.

Hide whistled and winked at her, gazing at her dark navy blue and black form, earning himself a dirty glare which he took as a challenge.

"Chromia, would you like to say anything? Introduce yourself."

She stepped up confidently. "I am very fast and intelligent in combat. I hope that one day soon that femmes will be allowed to become soldiers, that is why I am taking this class and expect to be treated as anyone else in this class," she said, her deep blue optics boring into every mech. They cringed from her stare, but Ironhide grinned, unfazed, which obviously pissed her off. A lot seemed to piss her off.

'_Fiesty_' Dion thought to himself. _'And I'm all for femmes in the army, but is she crazy?'_

Chromia moved herself into the line beside the rest of the mechs.

"Okay Chromia," Kup began, clapping his servos together, "Let's see what you got. Dion, front and center." Then Kup added to Hide near his sound processor, "Go easy if she's not adequate, though I have a feeling she may be,"

She looked innocent and shy suddenly as she inched forward. "Hi, I'm Chromia, but you can call me Mia,"

"Ironhide," he said extending a hand.

Smiling, she grasped it, then, with a battle cry, had Hide on his back after flipping him over her head.

"Holy sunova glitch!" Hide screamed. He rolled into a standing position, but the half second before he regained his balance, Mia dove as his legs causing him to fall again.

How serious, Hide was back on his feet ducking and blocking blows from her. Her fists flew towards his face, but he caught it an instant before collision, her fist frozen in front of his face. He noticed a raised part of her forearm, "Hey! Where'd you get that la-" he jumped to avoid her tripping him again. Dion kicked at her, but without prevail as she spun in mid-air thus twisting Hide's arms painfully. Kup counted the blows. Once he got to 50 exchanges, he ordered the two heavily venting students to quit. Chromia sent 41 blows; Hide receiving 33 of them. Hide threw 9 blows, Chromia receiving 8 well placed hits.

At the end of class, as Chromia walked to the femme's locker room (obviously alone), Ironhide blocked her way, pinning her with a suspicious glare.

"Where did you get that type of artillery?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Excuse me,"

Dion moved in front of her and pressed hard on her slightly raised forearm. A rocket launcher popped out, but she pushed it back in before anyone could notice.

"Don't you _dare_ tell anyone I have this," she threatened.

"Where'd you get it?" he pressed.

"Don't worry yourself about it!" she shouted.

Kup, along with a few remaining students, looked at them.

She disappeared into the locker room, Ironhide unable to follow her.

* * *

**Yay! I wrote something! I was looking through old-old-old-old-friggen-old files for something to post and I found this! I hope you like it, I plan on it having a few more chapters. I started writing this last January and I thought it will be just a bit of a different story. Please Alert-it!**

**And I'm working on "Transformer Monster Mash" or "A Transformers Halloween" or "Trick-or-Transformers" (vote on my poll for which name you like!) which will be like my "Transformers Jingles" which were warped Christmas songs. I'll post it sometime before Halloween! But please vote!**


	2. Discoveries

**Just a note: "Ariel" in Transformer-world is pronounced~ _r-I-el_**

_**Also, according to TF Wiki, (definitions given below) some units of time would be:**_

**Quartex= one Earth month**

**Cyber-week = "week" (?)**

**Orn= "one Cybertronian day"**

**Joor/ Groon= "hour"**

**Breem= 8.3 minutes**

**Astrosecond = about half a second**

**AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FAVES! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! AND BE SURE TO ADD THIS STORY TO YOUR ALERTS!**

* * *

After leaving Ironhide to his defense class and bringing a still-dazed Ratchet to his physics class, Orion made his way to Chemistry.

Walking to his usual seat next to his long time friend, Ariel, he greeted her as usual. "Hey Ari,"

"Hi, Did you do your homework?"

Orion grinned sheepishly.

Ariel pursed her lips. "Oh Orion Pax, what can I do to make you actually do work you lazy mech!" she said teasingly.

"Science isn't that important to me," Orion stated simply. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to do anything important in the future."

She hit him playfully. "You're gonna do amazing things in life. You _are _in line for Prime."

Orion snorted. "Yeah, like after 10 other bots."

Ariel shrugged as the lecture began.

The second the bell rang, a loud clumping followed and Ironhide was at Orion and Ariel's lab table having run from his weapons class to them.

"Orion! I have to- Oh, hello Ariel," he mended smoothly, placing another seductive grin on his face for the second time that day. His femme-killer smile beamed down on an unamused Ariel.

She rolled her optics, immune to his game. "Hello Dion."

He picked up a beaker and sniffed it. His response was a disgusted look. He swirled the solution and grinned again at Ariel. "Hey Ari, you an' Orion got chemistry,"

Ariel giggled and her faceplates heated to a pinkish tone. Orion sighed. "Thanks Hide."

"No problem, always got your back. Sorry Ari, gotta take lover-bot away for now."

Outside the room, Orion punched Hide in the side. "Stop saying those things! You know we're not in a relationship!"

Dion sighed as if this was the simplest thing in the world. "But everyone except you and she know you'll be one day...Anyways, you know the new girl, Chromia?"

"Yeah, but I haven't met her yet."

"Something's up with her, any intel?"

Orion scanned through his database flipping through memory files of what people had said to him. "Um, I think she's lived here a while, just didn't get enrolled until now, I know that Tron has met her before-"

Ironhide grimaced at the name.

"Hide, I know you don't like him, but he's still _my brother_, so can you save you hatred of him for someone besides me?"

"Sorry. I've just never received a friendly..." Dion searched for the right word. "...well, anything from him."

"Me neither," Orion muttered.

Later that school day, the trio had a free period together. After a few joors of mind-numming school, Ratchet had finally come out of his trance...that was, until a latecomer, Moonracer, showed up in the large room. As the door opened, Ratchet's jaw hinge began to go slack again. Rolling his optics, Dion smacked Ratchet upside the head.

"Wow, she has great hips," he blurted, jolted from his capture.

"Go talk to her," Orion egged him.

"No. No I-"

"No excuses soldier!" Dion ordered. "Go say hello!" He glanced at Moonracer and double-taked, "Damn, look at dem legs. Sweet Primus-er, erm, I... she's all yours buddy," he covered cheerfully, but was still optically glued to her thighs.

"I don't know what to say!"

"Well, how'd you get Starflare?"

Ratchet looked unamused. "I truly don't remember." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not wanting to remember a long-ago mistake which had temporarily ruined him.

"'Comon Ratchet, I know that she took your virginity...and some of your valuable possessions after all, but-"

Orion pushed Dion off his chair and finished for him. "Act sure-of-yourself. Take charge. She can't resist."

Ratchet stood up confidently, but inside he was suffocating in turmoil in nervousness. Growing up in and being groomed for politics he had always prided himself on the way he could easily and effectively mask true emotions. With that in mind, he began to go towards the attractive teal-clad femme. She seemed slightly frazzled from her first day at a new school; she didn't notice Ratchet as he neared.

"Hey cutie. What's your designation?" Tron said pushing Ratchet out of the way.

She looked up at the tall, over-confident mech. "Moonracer,"

"Tron." Orion's brother strode behind her, stroking a claw on her collar which she shrugged off, but covered with a flirty smile. Meanwhile, Ratchet slumped back into his chair.

"Next time, buddy. Next time," Ironhide consoled.

Halfway through class, Tron had made himself familiar with Moonracer who politely tried to deter him, but to no prevail. Hide noticed that Chromia was also in this class, but kept out of her sight. After a while, he guessed that he could have been standing in front of her, but she wouldn't have noticed because of her frequent stares at Tron who was in the back of the room. Abruptly, she stood up after making a brief optic-contact with Tron. She made her way out of the large room taking the lavatory pass. Tron whispered something very close to Moonracer's sound receptor and strode out of the room while the adviser stared off in the other direction at Chromia's aft walking away. Ratchet watched as Moonracer slumped in the seat, as if exhausted from being hassled by Tron. She scurried off to a seat in the far back, hiding from Tron.

Hide followed Tron with a pass to the Medic. Dion kept his distance, but had to shorten the span when Tron escaped outside the school.

Crouching behind a pillar, Ironhide watched as Tron and Chromia embraced. It was sickening to Ironhide when he saw Tron's claws grasp at more private parts of her body, but resisted the urge to tear Tron to shreds in order to keep his cover...and he knew that Orion would probably be a little upset if he did. Dion suddenly flashed-backed to Orion telling him that Tron had met Chromia before already, but he hadn't assumed that they had become personal like this.

Once Tron finally relinquished her a bit, Hide strained to hear their hushed conversation. "I got a new present for you," Tron whispered to Chromia while running a claw down her arm.

"What is it?"

"Proton cannon."

She was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where did you possibly get one? Have you been stealing from your sire again! I told you I don't want anything that you've taken from him."

"No not this time, though I could have gotten one just as easily from him. You know that sophomore I sometimes tolerate? Um, Star-something? He made this."

"No slag? And he's a sophomore? Kid must be some kind of genius."

"Yeah, he is...but he's very naive of the fact, and I would like for it to stay that way. Starscrew I think his name is; or something like that."

"So, when can I have my little...gift?"

Tron slide his digits in her shoulder plates, "I was thinking I'd come over your place after we..." Tron pressed his claw on her chassis causing her to flinch. "Then I'll attach it."

She seemed stunned by the first thought. "You want to in-interface? But my father will be home, and when did you decide this!"

He waved a servo. "Forget your sires, we can run away together if we had to. And I decided that I want you shortly after I noticed how beautiful you are," he finished, dragging a digit down her face plate and beneath her chin.

She was silent for a moment, her optics a million miles away. "Will you wear a patch?" she whispered almost inaudibly.

Tron laughed and rubbed her hand. "No. Patches are for those afraid of intimacy. I'm not. Because I love you," he paused to take her head roughly and make her stare into his optics, "And you love me and will be loyal, right?"

She was silent again, navy blue optics staring blankly at Tron. "But what if I-I-"

"Develop a sparkling?" he said bringing her hand to his lips to kiss it. "I have connections so you could terminate it or-"

"Or what?" she asked becoming a bit hysterical from her choices so far.

"I'll become your sparkmate,"

She gasped, "You-you really would?"

"Of course."

She swallowed. "Maybe," she mumbled. Tron kissed her forehead and left.

Tron went back to his free period while Hide watched Chromia. Unknowing that she was being watched, she shook with tremors and silent tears streamed down her face plates.

Dion was about to go over to console her and tell her that she was in control of her body and didn't have to do anything (or anyone) that she didn't want to. Just raising from his axles, the bell rang. Quickly wiping a hand over her face, she rushed inside, totally composed.

Though he had barely ever even talked to her before, Dion felt a type of guardianship towards the attractive femme. He knew he had to protect her and keep her safe from his enemy, Tron.

* * *

"Ariel, do you think Tron would ever do something to hurt somebot?" Orion asked his friend.

The pink femme was unresponsive as she sat sprawled out on Orion's berthroom desk chair. He kicked a datapad away from her. Before she came over that day, nothing seemed to be out of place, now that she was visiting his home, everything seemed incredibly messy.

"I don't know," she mumbled. Inside she was screaming, _"He's _already_ had a handful of run-ins with the peace officers, what do _you _think he'll be capable of in a few vorns?_"

"Where has Tron been anyways?" she asked, trying to subtly change the subject. "I've been here twice in the last Cyber-week and I never see him anymore. Though I can't say that's a bad thing."

Orion attempted to pick up a dirty hover disc but instead knocked over a stack of databooks. As he bent over to retrieve them, Ariel couldn't help but notice his aft. It was well known that members of the Primes, no matter how far off in the family line, were more handsome compared to the average mech. It was assumed that the Prime family was more handsome to make more little primes, and even Ariel could not resist a bit of temptation to Orion.

Secretly, she did want to begin a relationship with Orion, but she was always too afraid that is she asked, he would say no and ruin their friendship. Also, what if they did date and then break up at some point? What if he didn't want to be aquantied with her anymore, there was too many variables. Besides, what would he, a beautiful god, want with a poor mech's daughter.

"I don't know where he's been. Our sires don't really care what he does anymore. He's the 'problem' child. I just want to find out where he's been though because everytime he comes home, he has a big evil-like grin on his faceplates. Some nights he doesn't even come home. But it's probably just about some femme again. Or at least I hope."

"Speaking of which," she began, wanting to change the subject once more, "Who has caught your optic lately?" she asked nonchalantly as she usually did. This was a common exchange between the two; when one was single, the other would usually attempt to help the other find a new attraction. This time the question felt like a stab to Orion.

He was dreading her enevitable question because he desperatly wanted to say, "You," but there were too may things that could possibly go wrong in the future if he did. He believed that she wasn't at all interested.

"No one at the moment. You?"

Ignoring the last bit, she asked, "Not even the new femmes, Moonracer or Chromia?"

"No, I think Ratchet really likes Moonracer and ever since Starflare, it's been difficult for him to find someone he really likes, so might as well let him have her. Ironhide has called dibs on Chromia."

"Wow, you three sound real romantic. 'I owe him one, he can have her.'"

She shifted in her seat and with a much more anaylitical tone in her vocals.

"Tell me tell me tell me!" she pleaded. "I'll be your best friend!"

"Why should I tell you," he scoffed. "You've done nothing to persuade me." He sat down on his berth, crossing his arms.

Suddenly she jumped from her seat and onto the mech's lap, pushing their faces together so their noseplates touched.

"TELL. ME," she ordered.

"No."

She growled and banged her forehead against his and they fell back onto the berth. They both burst into laughter from the awkward position but then it subsided as Ariel's hand flatted on his chassis plates and his hand fit into the small of her back. Their venting slowed and Orion breathed, "Ariel."

Their optics met, but she turned away and excsed herself. She got up and walked around his room, not looking at him, then bolted out the door.

They only saw each other again the next school da, niether bringing up what had happened.

* * *

After three orns of secretly watching them, Dion was going to give up, that was, until the day they began their plans for the day Tron would go over to her place. Dion was surprised by the way that Tron had completely taken over her life and how she always had the stunned, spaced-out look on her face. Mostly likely because of how easily Tron was able totally alter her life.

They planned on interfacing a Cyber-week from that orn. That same orn that Tron had made the plans, Ironhide over heard the sophomore, Starscream, call, "Tron!" and scurry to the upperclassman.

Tron had his arms wrapped around Chromia in the hallway between classes, but he sighed, bored, and let her go as Starscream approached. Chromia almost looked thankful as Tron let her go.

Starscream watched the large-chassised femme walk off briskly. "Cute femme, Tron. You two interfaced yet? She looks like a killer on the berth."

"No. I'm planning on it later this Cyber-week. I'm fragging that slutty femme, Flareup, right now. But I'm gonna break off with Flare before then."

Dion struggled to contain a sound of disgust, but then became very interested in his nearby locker.

"Why? You're usually are in a relationship with, like, three femmes at once most of the time."

"I've found some other things that have been...extra-curricular and career forming. Anyways, Flareup is boring, she just throws herself at me all the time...and she thinks she's good berth-wise, but she's just unremarkable. And then there's another femme around the school I've had my optic on too, that Moon-something one."

The bell rang, but none of the three mechs moved at all. Tron glared at Hide and rudely asked, "Need something?"

Dion slammed his locker shut, the metal vibrating, infuriated. No way would he let Chromia become another notch on Tron's berth post. She was better than that. Dion just knew.

* * *

**According to TF Wiki, (which is my life saver for names and such), apparently in the 'mythology' of Transformers, Ratchet was a party-animal, then became more stern when he started focusing on the medical field.**

**Besides that, almost everything is just a story I've formulated with my own mythology, but I think it's not so bad so far.**


	3. How to Save A Life

The next Cyber-week, this routine continued with Tron and Chromia. Dion kept his vigil on Chromia whenever possible, sneaking out of study after her and watching as the two 'interacted'. He soon hoped that she would never find out about this, for he'd surely be turned over for some data-help. But it was something about her...or about Tron, that made him feel protective of her.

Most times they would just spend the period kissing behind the school while Tron reached in her more private areas. One day, Tron brought her crushed comet particles which they heated up then inhaled, or they would speak in hushed tones. One thing stayed the same though, no matter what they did, Tron always made sure to have controlling claws on her body. Their meetings would end the same, Tron would go in early for the last few moments of the period and Chromia would stay there, outside the school, and cry.

Hide tried to tell Orion, but Orion just assumed Ironhide was exaggerating because of his and Tron's animosity towards each other. Orion refused to believe that his brother would sink so low.

Now today after school, Chromia and Tron were scheduled to spark. When Tron went back into the school, Dion planned on intervening without Chromia's knowledge, but as he began to follow Tron, small hands grabbed his shoulders and slammed him to the ground. The blue femme towered over him.

"How much did you hear!" she demanded.

"He doesn't love you."

Mia kicked the downed mech and pushed him against the wall. Ironhide continued, even more furious now. "If he _loves_ you so much, why is he so interested in Moonracer?"

Her optics flicked with red. "It's not serious with her."

"Really?"

Her hands shook, her optics wet, and she sprinted to the girl's bathroom before Ironhide could get to her. He cursed and hit the wall because of this reoccurring trend. He waited outside the bathroom for a while until a monitor told him that he had to go back to his class. He slumped back into his study period.

"Dion, for five study halls now you just disappear, where do you go?" Orion Pax asked.

"I've told you Orion, but you don't believe me."

Orion frowned then continued with his studies. Ratchet's elbow was on one of his datapads. "Ratch, Cybertron-to-Ratch, can you move please?"

The lime green mech was staring at Moonracer in Tron's arms.

Orion sighed. "Hide leaves physically, Ratchet leave mentally, and I'm here to wonder... Ratchet!" he yelled into his friend's sound receptor. Ratchet jolted and caught the datapad before it fell to the floor. Orion then continued in a whisper, "Talk. To. Her. You stare at her all period long."

"And all during Repair Shop," Ironhide mumbled.

"You have Repairs with her!" Orion backhanded Ratchet's shoulder. "You have all the chances you need to be with her!"

"I've talked to her before!" he defended himself. "I asked her for a wrench before."

"Wow, stud, you showed me."

"Oh yeah," Ironhide began. "Better tone it down or I'll be hopping into your berth soon."

The bell rang and Ratchet headed off to his Repair Shop class. Class started and a breem later a new student to the class walked in. Ratchet's grabbed his wrench reflexively when he saw the terrified look on Moonracer's faceplates.

"Mr. Tron? I heard you would be joining my class today, but I was hoping you wouldn't be late," Signal Flare began.

"Sorry Signal." Tron sat down next to a cringing Moonracer. He wrapped his arms possessively around her shoulders. Ratchet mostly missed Signal Flare's entire lesson because he was too busy glaring at an overconfident Tron. Moonracer obviously wasn't interested, but he persisted.

Ratchet's grip on his tool tightened.

"Okay, everyone, begin using the energon to revive your prototype's leg," Signal Flare prompted.

Ratchet looked at his dummy in front of him. Since he had missed the lecture, he tried his own way and soon found himself fixing the shell without looking; his vigil back on Tron.

"Excellent work, Mr. Ratchet. First one completed," Signal Flare congratulated. "And such an original design, very good." Ratch looked down to see a perfect patchwork on his dummy's leg. Now his full attention could be focused on the pervert a few tables behind him.

Tron made a bold move on Moonracer which caused her to stand up in shock, her stool flipping over and making a loud noise. Ratchet stood up also, still holding onto the wrench in his hand. The entire class stared at Tron and Moonracer in silence.

"Sit back down you stupid glitch!" Tron commanded standing up also and using his height to make her feel insignificant, but it didn't seem to phase her. She took a step back, but kept a strong stance.

"_Mr. Tron_!"

Ignoring the instructor, Tron grabbed Moonracer's shoulders and shook her brutally.

"Tron!" Signal yelled as he lunged at him, only to be pinned down by Tron's minion-in-training, Starscream. Signal Flare streamed threats at the sophomore, but Screamer was only smiling at Tron, wanting to please.

Everyone froze, unsure what to do.

"Get your claws off her you fragging son of a glitch," Ratchet said strongly, his knuckle digits popping out from the death grip on his wrench.

Tron laughed evilly, his optics began to fade to a spark-stopping red. "And you'll do what?" he grabbed at Racer's chassis plates, ripping them open and exposing her spark. She screamed and tried to cover herself, but Tron held her arms back with one claw, his other claw unsnapping his own front chassis plates.

"Frag!" Blurr, a senior, and a few other mechs tried to stop Tron as Racer shrieked for help, but some of Tron's goons blocked their way, aka Barricade, Bonecrusher, and some other large mechs. Wheeljack with Perceptor rapidly pushed the thinner-plated femmes into a corner to protect them. Ariel, along with a handful of the other femmes, tried to knock Barricade down, but instead most were thrown to the ground by Blackout.

"You crazy glitch!" Ariel wailed.

About to violate Moonracer entirely in front of the entire class, a wrench flew and slammed into Tron's side temple causing his optics to flash white as he crumpled to the ground. A deep dent was left where the tool hit him.

Signal Flare finally zapped Starscream with a hidden tazer in his leg plating causing him to jump from the instructor. The other mechs and femmes were able to overpower Tron's stunned followers while Ratchet gaped at the recent events.

The wrench that was once in his hand was now lying beside an unconscious Tron.

He liked the efficiency of a thrown wrench.

* * *

"Orion! Ironhide! You'll never believe what I-"

"Saved Moonracer from my aftport of a sibling, yeah, I've heard," Orion commented, clearly shaking with anger towards Tron. "I'm sorry, Hide, I should have believed you. He's disgraced my family," Orion choked, overflowing with hatred.

Trying to give him a moment to himself, Dion clapped his hand on Ratchet's broad back. "Ratch, buddy! Never knew you had it in you!" Ironhide noticed something and stepped back. He tapped Orion on the shoulder. He nodded and followed Dion without saying goodbye to Ratchet.

A timid Moonracer took their place.

"Hi," the lime green mech stuttered.

She looked at him, about to say something, but instead pushed herself up and pressed her lips to his surprised ones. She pulled back. "Thank you."

"No...Thank _you." _Ratchet's old seductive behavior peeked through.

She giggled. "That was really brave. Do you want to get together tonight?" she asked impishly.

"Oh what, so now you just like me because I saved you?" Ratchet asked with a bemused smile; he radiated a suave demeanor causing her to swoon a bit.

"Ratchet...I liked you ever since you gave me that dumbfounded look on my first day. I wanted to ask you out, but then Tron wouldn't let me out of his sight."

"You could have talked to me when Tron went off during the study halls," Ratchet countered.

"Not really. He would leave Starscream or Blackout with me to make sure I was still there when he came back."

"I'm sorry," he apologized and hugged her. "I should have saved you before."

"Better late than never," she whispered, her face against his chassis.

She leaned back and smiled. "Meet me after school, we can figure out something to do." She pecked him on the side face plate again and began to run off, but Ratchet caught her arm, pulled her back and kissed her again, her hands on her waist. Her arms wrapped around his neck and they stayed in that embrace even after the bell rang.


End file.
